Wall construction



H. A. FA-BER 2,064,788

WALL CONSTRUCTION Dec. 15, 1936.

Filed Dec. 12, I935 wily INVENTOR Herberr A. F ber- BY HI ORNEY Patented Dec. 15, 1936 UNITED STATEL PATENT GFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved wall construction, and more particularly to an improved construction for walls assembled from units preshaped and subsequently joined and bonded to one another in a novel manner.

The present invention contemplates in preferred embodiments a wall structure composed of a plurality of individual building units, preferably preshaped from a cementitious material, and assembled side-by-side to form horizontal courses of the completed wall structure, the courses being built up vertically on one another to a desired height, and the individual building units and the individual courses being then joined and bonded together to provide a strong wall capable of bearing and/or floor loads, and being entirely weather resistant throughout.

In preferred forms, each individual building unit comprises a body portion desirably of a cementitious-or like material pre-molded to provide a rectangularly or otherwise suitably shaped block having one of its major faces formed to resist weather conditions and contoured to cooperate with correspondingly contoured faces of like units to form a substantially continuous exterior wall facing; and the opposing major face suitably spaced apart from the stated major face to give a suitable thickness to the block, such opposing major face being provided with flanges extending therefrom respectively at two oppositely related ends thereof, and provided also with a set of flanges, disposed intermediate said end flanges to form a channel, extending therefrom parallel to and between the said end flanges.

Each of the -end flanges preferably has its outer face suitably configurated, usually sloping inward from the exterior face of the unit, and is desirably provided with joinder elements for the retention of a plastically applied cementitious material or the like together with reinforcing rods, or equivalent, to effect, relative to a like configurated opposingly adjacent face of a laterally adjoining unit, likewise provided with joinder elements, a tight joinder and bonding together of such two laterally adjoining units.

Inassembling the wall structure, actual joinder or bonding of the individual units, other than in a preliminary manner 1. e., by vertical jointing and/or'horizontal mortaring is not attempted until the units in the required number of horizontal courses, one above another vertically to represent the desired wall height, are in place.

A course is preliminarily constructed by placing individual vunits together laterally with their exterior faces in substantial planar alignment and with the outer face of each end flange directly opposed to and slightly spaced apart from the outer face of the end flange immediately adjacent thereto; the space between the two said faces desirably, due to the preferred inward slope of the faces, diverging from a comparatively narrow crack at the exterior wall .face to a substantial width at the flange inner extremities, such wedge shaped space affording the necessary space for joinder and bonding of the units together.

The courses may be built up, one upon another vertically, the individual units of one being in staggered formation respective to the individual units of those immediately adjacent upperly and lowerly thereof.

Each set of loosely associated end flanges of individual units may be positioned to provide space for subsequent joinder operations by disposing the same directly above and in substantial vertical alignment with the set of channel forming flanges of a unit of the horizontal course immediately thereunder, thus forming as an assembled group a plurality of related studs aligned continuously from top to bottom of the several courses at spaced intervals throughout their width, the associated end portions of laterally adjacent units of one course being solidly supported. by the integrally related flanges in the body of a unit of the course immediately therebelow, said related studs including therebetween a composite channel of non-uniform depth.

When a section of a suitable height has thus been preliminarily assembled, each unit is tightly joined and bonded to its horizontally and vertically adjacent units by filling in the composite channels, running continuously from top to bottom of the assembled section, with suitable reinforcing material and/or plastic material.

It will therefore be seen that a primary object of the present invention is to provide a wall structure comprising a plurality of preshaped building units that shall be capable of being preliminarily assembled to form a wall structure, and subsequently joined and bonded together to form an integral structural entity having studs embodied spacially on its inner face.

Further features and objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective showing part of a wall structure comprising a portion of two courses composed of individual building units loosely associatedpreliminary to final joining and bonding .together.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2, Fig. 1, with parts of the central portions between respective end flanges being broken out.

Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal section showing two adjacent end flanges, i. e. related studs, finally joined and bonded together.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4l, Fig. 3 with the plastic filling and pointing material removed.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through another type of building unit contemplated by the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4; the reference character l0 indicates an individual building unit, advantageously a block of rectangular contour having a body portion Illa of suitable thickness, and preferably pre-molded from a cementitious or like material to form a preferably weather resistant exterior facing I02), on one of its major sides, and flanges extending from, and running completely up and down, the face of the other, i. e., opposite major side I00; which flanges comprise end flanges and I2 respectively; and central flanges l3 and I4 disposed parallel to and preferably centrally between the aforesaid end flanges, and related to each other to form a channel I5 therebetween.

Each of said flanges are preferably of a truncated wedge shape of uniform size and uniform inward extension; the respective outer faces Ila and I20, of the end-flanges carrying the wedge slope from the outer end-flange extremities Ill) and I212 respectively to the exterior facing Illb; and the wedge slope of the inner faces of the central flanges l3 and I4 imparting a truncated wedge shape to the channel [5.

In constructing each course during the erection of a wall structure the individual building units H] are placed end-to-end horizontally, as shown at [1, Figs. 1 and 2, and are spaced slightly apart to form between the end facings Ilw and l2a of separate units, wedge shaped channels H. The said channels terminate in narrow slits in the resulting exterior wall facing, which. slits may be pointed up from the outside with mortar or like plastic material, as shown at 18, Figs. 2 and 4.

In erecting the wall vertically to the desired height, usually the height of one single story in a building construction, the courses are assembled one on top of another; the individual building units of one course, however, being advantageously in staggered formation with respect to the next succeeding courses upperly and lowerly thereof, as shown in Fig. 1, in which the courses are numbered l9 and 20 respectively.

More explicitly, each set of associated end flanges, H and 12 respectively, of any one course, other than the lowermost, are solidly supported by a set of integrally related center flanges, l3

, and M respectively, of the course directly below more or less loosely, erected to desired horizontal and vertical dimensions, the individual building units and the several courses are tightly joined and bonded together through the medium of the related studs and the channels defined therebetween.

To facilitate and strengthen the joinder and the bonding, a plurality of joinder elements, such as the nails 22, may be partially embedded in the material of the end flanges I l and I2, respectively, during the molding stage of the unit, so that, when the units are assembled, portions of the said elements extend out, preferably in rows, from the end faces Ma and l2a, respectively, into the wedge shaped channels l5; the rows from one face tying in with the rows from the other, as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4.

Also, for the above specified purpose, a plurality of joinder elements, such as the nails 23, may be partially embedded in the material defining the bottom of the channel l5, such elements preferably being staggered in position, relative to each other.

Reinforcing means, such as the steel rod 24 preferably co-extensive vertically with the studs, may then be dropped into place between the rows of joinder elements from the top of each wedge shaped composite channel, and the nails 24 may subsequently be bent over to further secure the reinforcing means in place as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Bonding of the units and courses together may be accomplished by a grouting process inclusive of slinging mortar or like plastic material 25, behind and around the joinder elements 22 and 23 and the reinforcing means 24, for, together with the previously inserted pointing material, completely filling the composite channel from bottom to top vertically.

Desirably, the lower end of the bottom of the channels I 5 are given a gradual curve toward the exterior face lllb of the unit as shown at 26, Fig. 4, to secure union of the horizontal mortaring 2| with the bonding material 25 and thus facilitate complete filling of the said channel.

Simultaneously with this filling procedure, furring strips 21, preferably of wood, are built up from bottom to top vertically to bridge the gap between extremities of related studs, and thus retain the plastic grouting material 25 while it is setting.

Temporary securement of the individual furring strips may be had during this operation by means of a wire 28 or the like, fastening the upper end of the strip to the reinforcing rod 24" and a bevel joint 21a securing the beveled lower end of the strip behind the beveled upper end of the next lower strip.

Advantageously the furring strips are kept in place permanently for the attachment of lathing, sheet insulating material, or like interior facing to the wall structure. For this purpose holding elements are secured to the inner face of the furring strip for extension into, and binding with, the grouting material. These desirably take the form of nails 29 partially driven into the inner face of the strip 21 before putting the same into place; the heads of the nails extending into, and binding with, the plastic grouting material 25.

In the above manner, therefore, each set of related studs running from bottom to top of the inner face of the completed wall structure are joined and bonded together to form a single strong and firm wall stud as shown in crosssection in Figs. 3 and 4.

Another form of building unit contemplated by the present invention is shown in Fig. 5.

In this embodiment, the building unit 30 is, as a whole of substantially the same configuration as the afore-described units, being provided with a similar body portion and similar flanges extending therefrom. The distinguishing feature resides in the fact that the outer faces of end flanges, as shown at 3|, and the inner faces of central flanges, as shown at 32, are configurated to aid in retaining plastic filling material used in bonding the joints between individual units.

The configurations may take any suitable form; a preferred form being a plurality of alternate, parallel ridges and grooves presenting a serrated cross-section as illustrated.

Such configuration may take the place of joinder elements or may be used in conjunction with same; preferably the former.

Whereas, I have described my invention by reference to specific forms thereof, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a wall construction, a wall structure comprising a plurality of pre-shaped building units end to end vertically and/or side by side horizontally, said units including, respectively, flanged elements extending therefrom in spaced relation to one another, the individual flange elements of adjacent units being aligned vertically to form sets of related studs running from bottom to top of said wall structure; and means for joining and bonding together the related studs of each set to form a single stud, said single studs effectively tying individual units together and weather sealing all vertical joints between related studs in the wall structure.

2. In a wall construction, a wall structure comprising a plurality of pre-shaped building units end to end vertically and/or side by said horizontally, said units including, respectively, flanged elements extending therefrom in spaced relation to one another, the individual flange elements of adjacent units being aligned vertically to form sets of related studs running from bottom to top of said wall structure; joinder elements extending from inner faces of each set of studs, and means for bonding together the related studs of each set to form a single stud, said single studs effectively tying individual units together and weather sealing all vertical joints between related studs in the wall structure.

3. In a wall construction, a wall structure comprising a plurality of pre-shaped building units end to end vertically and/or side by side horizontally, said units including, respectively, flanged elements extending therefrom in spaced relation to one another, the individual flange elements of adjacent units being aligned vertically to form sets of related studs running from bottom to top of said wall structure; joinder elements extending from inner faces of each set of studs;

reinforcing means between said joinder elements; and means for bonding together the related studs of each set to form a single stud, said single studs effectively tying individual units together and weather sealing all vertical joints between related studs in the wall structure.

4. In a wall construction, a wall structure comprising a plurality of pro-shaped building units end to end Vertically and/or side by side horizontally, said units including, respectively, flanged elements extending therefrom in spaced relation to one another, the individual flange elements of adjacent units being aligned vertically to form sets of related studs running from bottom to top of said wall structure; nails, having their heads embedded in the material of said studs, and having a part of their body portions extending into the space between related studs of each of said sets of studs, and means for bonding together the related studs of each set to form a single stud, said single studs effectively tying individual units together and weather sealing all vertical joints between related studs in the wall structure.

5. In a wall assembly of a building or the like, the combination of a plurality of units superposed vertically upon one another and having exposed faces arranged to form continuity of exposed surface of the wall, the material of said exposed faces being adapted to resist weather conditions, said units having respectively elements connected permanently to the body portions of said units, said elements being arranged in vertical alignment and including mechanical means for, together with reinforcing means applied upon assembly of said units, interlinking said vertically aligned elements to one another, and grouting material embracing said mechanical means and reinforcing means and capable of hardening upon maturing, whereby said units are rigidly interconnected to one another.

6. In a wall construction, a building block comprising a substantially channel-shaped body portion, a set of spacially related flanges extending from said body portion intermediate of and parallel with the side flanges of said body portion, and means, extending from the outer faces of respective side flanges and from between the said related flanges, for retaining reinforcing material.

7. In a wall construction, a building block comprising a substantially channel-shaped body portion, a set of spacially related flanges, extending from said body portion intermediate of and parallel with the side flanges of said body portion, and means, extending from the outer faces of respective side flanges and from between the said related flanges, for retaining reinforcing material, such means comprising a plurality of elements having portions thereof embedded in the material of said block and the remaining portions of the elements extending from the surface of the block.

HERBERT ALFRED FABER. 

